The Mandible

The mandible or the lower jaw is the largest and strongest bone of the face, and it
articulates with the skull at the temporomandibular joint.
The mandible consists of a horseshoe-shaped body and a pair of rami.
The body of the mandible meets the ramus on each side at the angle of the mandible.
The body of the mandible, on its external surface in the midline, has a faint ridge
indicating the line of fusion of the two halves during development at the symphysis
menti.
The mental foramen can be seen below the second premolar tooth; it transmits the
terminal branches of the inferior alveolar nerve and vessels.

1
2
On the medial surface of the body of the mandible in the median plane are seen
the mental spines
spines; these give origin to the genioglossus muscles above and the
geniohyoid muscles below.
The mylohyoid line can be seen as an oblique ridge that runs backward and
laterally from the area of the mental spines to an area below and behind the third
molar tooth.
The submandibular fossafossa, for the superficial part of the submandibular salivary
gland, lies below the posterior part of the mylohyoid line.
The sublingual fossa
fossa, for the sublingual gland, lies above the anterior part of the
mylohyoid line .
The upper border of the body of the mandible is called the alveolar part part; in the
adult it contains 16 sockets for the roots of the teeth.
The lower border of the body of the mandible is called the base base..
The digastric fossa is a small, roughened depression on the base, on either side
of the symphysis menti . It is in these fossae that the anterior bellies of the
digastric muscles are attached.

3
The ramus of the mandible is vertically placed and has an anterior coronoid
process and a posterior condyloid process
process, or head
head; the two processes are
separated by the mandibular notch .
On the lateral surface of the ramus are markings for the attachment of the
masseter muscle.
On the medial surface is the mandibular foramen for the inferior alveolar nerve
and vessels. In front of the foramen is a projection of bone, called the lingula
lingula, for
the attachment of the sphenomandibular ligament .
The foramen leads into the mandibular canal
canal, which opens on the lateral surface
of the body of the mandible at the mental foramen .
The incisive canal is a continuation forward of the mandibular canal beyond the
mental foramen and below the incisor teeth.
The coronoid process receives on its medial surface the attachment of the
temporalis muscle. Below the condyloid process, or head, is a short neck
neck.

4
 Temporomandibular Joint


Articulation

Articulation occurs between the articular tubercle and the anterior portion of the
mandibular fossa of the temporal bone above and the head (condyloid process) of
the mandible below .
The articular surfaces are covered with fibrocartilage.

Type of Joint

The temporomandibular joint is synovial.

The articular disc divides the joint into upper and lower cavities .

Capsule

The capsule surrounds the joint and is attached above to the articular tubercle and
the margins of the mandibular fossa and below to the neck of the mandible.

Ligaments

The lateral temporomandibular ligament strengthens the lateral aspect

of the capsule, and its fibers run downward and backward from the
tubercle on the root of the zygoma to the lateral surface of the neck of the
mandible . This ligament limits the movement of the mandible in a
posterior direction and thus protects the external auditory meatus.

The sphenomandibular ligament lies on the medial side of the joint . It is

a thin band that is attached above to the spine of the sphenoid bone and
below to the lingula of the mandibular foramen. It represents the remains
of the first pharyngeal arch in this region.

The stylomandibular ligament lies behind and medial to the joint and
some distance from it. It is merely a band of thickened deep cervical fascia
that extends from the apex of the styloid process to the angle of the
mandible
5
6
 The articular disc divides the joint into upper and lower cavities .
It is an oval plate of fibrocartilage that attached circumferentially to the capsule.
It is also attached in front to the tendon of the lateral pterygoid muscle and by
fibrous bands to the head of the mandible.
These bands ensure that the disc moves forward and backward with the head of
the mandible during protraction and retraction of the mandible.
The upper surface of the disc is concavoconvex from before backward to fit the
shape of the articular tubercle and the mandibular fossa; the lower surface is
concave to fit the head of the mandible.

Synovial Membrane

This lines the capsule in the upper and lower cavities of the joint .

Nerve Supply

Auriculotemporal and masseteric branches of the mandibular nerve

 Movements of Temporomandibular Joint 

The mandible can be depressed or elevated, protruded or retracted. Rotation can

also occur, as in chewing. In the position of rest, the teeth of the upper and lower
jaws are slightly apart. On closure of the jaws, the teeth come into contact.

1- Depression of the Mandible :

As the mouth is opened, the head of the mandible rotates on the undersurface of
the articular disc around a horizontal axis.
To prevent the angle of the jaw impinging unnecessarily on the parotid gland and
the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the mandible is pulled forward.
This is accomplished by the contraction of the lateral pterygoid muscle, which
pulls forward the neck of the mandible and the articular disc so that the latter
moves onto the articular tubercle .
The forward movement of the disc is limited by the tension of the fibroelastic
tissue, which tethers the disc to the temporal bone posteriorly.

7
Depression of the mandible is brought about by contraction of the digastrics, the
geniohyoids, and the mylohyoids; the lateral pterygoids play an important role by
pulling the mandible forward.

2- Elevation of the Mandible :

The movements in depression of the mandible are reversed.

First, the head of the mandible and the disc move backward, and then the head
rotates on the lower surface of the disc.
Elevation of the mandible is brought about by contraction of the temporalis, the
masseter, and the medial pterygoids.
The head of the mandible is pulled backward by the posterior fibers of the
temporalis.
The articular disc is pulled backward by the fibroelastic tissue, which tethers the
disc to the temporal bone posteriorly.

3- Protrusion of the Mandible :

The articular disc is pulled forward onto the anterior tubercle, carrying the head
of the mandible with it.
All movement thus takes place in the upper cavity of the joint. In protrusion, the
lower teeth are drawn forward over the upper teeth, which is brought about by
contraction of the lateral pterygoid muscles of both sides, assisted by both medial
pterygoids.

4- Retraction of the Mandible:

The articular disc and the head of the mandible are pulled backward into the
mandibular fossa. Retraction is brought about by contraction of the posterior
fibers of the temporalis.

5- Lateral Chewing Movements:

These are accomplished by alternately protruding and retracting the mandible on

each side.
For this to take place, a certain amount of rotation occurs, and the muscles
responsible on both sides work alternately and not in unison.

8
 Important Relations of the Temporomandibular Joint


Anteriorly:: The mandibular notch and the masseteric nerve and artery .
Anteriorly

Posteriorly : The tympanic plate of the external auditory meatus and the
Posteriorly:
glenoid process of the parotid gland.

Laterally:: The parotid gland, fascia, and skin .

Laterally

Medially: The maxillary artery and vein and the auriculotemporal nerve.
Medially:

9
The muscles of mastication are summarized in the following:-

10
11
12
  The Mouth 

The Lips

The lips are two fleshy folds that surround the oral orifice .
They are covered on the outside by skin and are lined on the inside by mucous
membrane.
The substance of the lips is made up by the orbicularis oris muscle and the
muscles that radiate from the lips into the face.
Also included are the labial blood vessels and nerves, connective tissue, and
many small salivary glands..
The philtrum is the shallow vertical groove seen in the midline on the outer
surface of the upper lip.
Median folds of mucous membrane ”the the labial frenulae
frenulae” connect the inner
surface of the lips to the gums.

The Mouth Cavity

The mouth extends from the lips to the pharynx.

The entrance into the pharynx, the oropharyngeal isthmus, is formed on each side
by the palatoglossal fold .
proper..
The mouth is divided into the vestibule and the mouth cavity proper

13
 
Vestibule

The vestibule lies between the lips and the cheeks externally and the gums and
the teeth internally.
This slitlike space communicates with the exterior through the oral fissure
between the lips.
When the jaws are closed, it communicates with the mouth proper behind the
third molar tooth on each side.
The vestibule is limited above and below by the reflection of the mucous
membrane from the lips and cheeks to the gums.
The lateral wall of the vestibule is formed by the cheek, which is made up by the
buccinator muscle and is lined with mucous membrane.
The tone of the buccinator muscle and that of the muscles of the lips keeps the
walls of the vestibule in contact with one another.
The duct of the parotid salivary gland opens on a small papilla into the vestibule
opposite the upper second molar tooth.

14
 Mouth Proper


The mouth proper has a roof and a floor.

Roof of Mouth

The roof of the mouth is formed by the hard palate in front and the soft palate
behind .

Floor of Mouth

The floor is formed largely by the anterior two thirds of the tongue and by the
reflection of the mucous membrane from the sides of the tongue to the gum of the
mandible.
A fold of mucous membrane called the frenulum of the tongue connects the
undersurface of the tongue in the midline to the floor of the mouth.
Lateral to the frenulum, the mucous membrane forms a fringed fold, the plica
fimbriata .
The submandibular duct of the submandibular gland opens onto the floor of the
mouth on the summit of a small papilla on either side of the frenulum of the
tongue .
The sublingual gland projects up into the mouth, producing a low fold of mucous
membrane, the sublingual fold
fold.
Numerous ducts of the gland open on the summit of the fold.

15
16
17
18
19
20
21
 Mucous Membrane of the Mouth 

In the vestibule the mucous membrane is tethered to the buccinator muscle by

elastic fibers in the submucosa that prevent redundant folds of mucous membrane
from being bitten between the teeth when the jaws are closed.
The mucous membrane of the gingiva, or gum, is strongly attached to the alveolar
periosteum.


Sensory Innervation of the Mouth

Roof : The greater palatine and nasopalatine nerve from the maxillary
Roof:
division of the trigeminal nerve

Floor
Floor:: The lingual nerve (common
common sensation
sensation), a branch of the mandibular
division of the trigeminal nerve.
The taste fibers travel in the chorda tympani nerve, a branch of the facial
nerve.

Cheek
Cheek:: The buccal nerve, a branch of the mandibular division of the
trigeminal nerve (the buccinator muscle is innervated by the buccal branch
of the facial nerve.(

The Teeth 

Deciduous Teeth :

There are 20 deciduous teeth: four incisors, two canines, and four molars in each
jaw.
They begin to erupt about 6 months after birth and have all erupted by the end of
2 years. The teeth of the lower jaw usually appear before those of the upper jaw.

Permanent Teeth

There are 32 permanent teeth: four incisors, two canines, four premolars, and six
molars in each jaw . They begin to erupt at 6 years of age. The last tooth to erupt

22
is the third molar, which may happen between the ages of 17 and 30. The teeth of
the lower jaw appear before those of the upper jaw.

23
24
The Tongue


25
The tongue is a mass of striated muscle covered with mucous membrane.
The muscles attach the tongue to the styloid process and the soft palate above and
to the mandible and the hyoid bone below.
The tongue is divided into right and left halves by a median fibrous septum.

Mucous Membrane of the Tongue :

The mucous membrane of the upper surface of the tongue can be divided into
anterior and posterior parts by a V-shaped sulcus, the sulcus terminalis .
The apex of the sulcus projects backward and is marked by a small pit, the
foramen cecum.
The sulcus serves to divide the tongue into the anterior two thirds, or oral part,
and the posterior third, or pharyngeal part.
The foramen cecum is an embryologic remnant and marks the site of the upper
end of the thyroglossal duct .

The tongue papillae:

Three types of papillae are present on the upper surface of the anterior two thirds
of the tongue: the filiform papillae
papillae, the fungiform papillae
papillae, and the vallate
papillae.
papillae
The mucous membrane covering the posterior third of the tongue is devoid of
papillae but has an irregular surface, caused by the presence of underlying lymph
nodules, the lingual tonsil
tonsil.
The mucous membrane on the inferior surface of the tongue is reflected from the
tongue to the floor of the mouth.
In the midline anteriorly, the undersurface of the tongue is connected to the floor
of the mouth by a fold of mucous membrane, the frenulum of the tongue tongue. On
the lateral side of the frenulum, the deep lingual vein can be seen through the
mucous membrane.
Lateral to the lingual vein, the mucous membrane forms a fringed fold called the
plica fimbriata .

26
27
28
29
 Muscles of the Tongue


The muscles of the tongue are divided into two types: intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic Muscles :

These muscles are confined to the tongue and are not attached to bone. They
consist of longitudinal, transverse, and vertical fibers.
Nerve supply: Hypoglossal nerve
Action: Alter the shape of the tongue

Extrinsic Muscles :

These muscles are attached to bones and the soft palate.

They are the genioglossus, the hyoglossus, the styloglossus, and the palatoglossus.
Nerve supply: Hypoglossal nerve

30
The origin, insertion, nerve supply, and action of the tongue muscles are
summarized in the following:

31
32
33
 Blood Supply


The lingual artery, the tonsillar branch of the facial artery, and the ascending
pharyngeal artery supply the tongue.
The veins drain into the internal jugular vein.

Lymph Drainage 

Tip: Submental lymph nodes

Sides of the anterior two thirds: Submandibular and deep cervical lymph nodes
Posterior third: Deep cervical lymph nodes

Sensory Innervation 

Anterior two thirds: Lingual nerve branch of mandibular division of trigeminal

nerve (general sensation) and chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve (taste)
Posterior third: Glossopharyngeal nerve (general sensation and taste)


Movements of the Tongue

Protrusion: The genioglossus muscles on both sides acting together

.
Retraction: Styloglossus and hyoglossus muscles on both sides acting
together

Depression: Hyoglossus muscles on both sides acting together

Retraction and elevation of the posterior third: Styloglossus and

palatoglossus muscles on both sides acting together

Shape changes: Intrinsic muscles

34
35